Behind The Chain
Behind The Chain
Podcast Description
I've spent the last decade as a headhunter, partnering with some of the world’s largest and most influential companies & brands, I've had a front-row seat to the mechanics behind how businesses are built—from their leadership structures and talent strategies to their operational models and cultural DNA.What’s always fascinated me is that while every company might aim for growth and innovation, how they get there varies dramatically depending on the industry they’re in. The way a cutting-edge eCommerce brand scales is worlds apart from how a legacy Logistics provider evolves or how a high-street Retail giant adapts to digital transformation. These intricacies are often overlooked, yet they shape the way industries function, grow, and impact the wider world.Through countless conversations with Founders, Executives, and hiring managers, I began to see patterns—and differences—that sparked a deeper curiosity: What makes each of these arenas tick? What challenges do they face behind the scenes? How do the people at the helm make decisions that ripple across the economy, employment, and society at large?That’s why I launched Behind the Chain.This podcast is a place where we unpack the business models, leadership mindsets, and industry dynamics that define different sectors—from eCommerce to healthcare, manufacturing to fintech, and beyond. I sit down with the operators, thinkers, and builders who are in the trenches, bringing their stories to light so we can better understand how industries really work behind the chain of command, decisions, and outcomes. It’s part curiosity, part professional obsession—and 100% driven by a desire to uncover the layers of business that often go unseen.Whether you're a Founder, CEO, aspiring Execuitive OR simply fascinated by the architecture of business, Behind the Chain offers a rare lens into what it really takes to build and scale in today’s ever-changing landscape.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers topics related to business models, leadership mindsets, and sector-specific dynamics, with episodes such as scaling global eCommerce with Passport Global's technology and insights from industry leaders like Dwain McDonald, focusing on the challenges of building large companies in logistics and retail.

I’ve spent the last decade as a headhunter, partnering with some of the world’s largest and most influential companies & brands, I’ve had a front-row seat to the mechanics behind how businesses are built—from their leadership structures and talent strategies to their operational models and cultural DNA.
What’s always fascinated me is that while every company might aim for growth and innovation, how they get there varies dramatically depending on the industry they’re in. The way a cutting-edge eCommerce brand scales is worlds apart from how a legacy Logistics provider evolves or how a high-street Retail giant adapts to digital transformation. These intricacies are often overlooked, yet they shape the way industries function, grow, and impact the wider world.
Through countless conversations with Founders, Executives, and hiring managers, I began to see patterns—and differences—that sparked a deeper curiosity: What makes each of these arenas tick? What challenges do they face behind the scenes? How do the people at the helm make decisions that ripple across the economy, employment, and society at large?
That’s why I launched Behind the Chain.
This podcast is a place where we unpack the business models, leadership mindsets, and industry dynamics that define different sectors—from eCommerce to healthcare, manufacturing to fintech, and beyond. I sit down with the operators, thinkers, and builders who are in the trenches, bringing their stories to light so we can better understand how industries really work behind the chain of command, decisions, and outcomes.
It’s part curiosity, part professional obsession—and 100% driven by a desire to uncover the layers of business that often go unseen.
Whether you’re a Founder, CEO, aspiring Execuitive OR simply fascinated by the architecture of business, Behind the Chain offers a rare lens into what it really takes to build and scale in today’s ever-changing landscape.
Join us on Behind The Chain for episode #33, with Special Guest – Tom Killeen, Chief Operating Officer at THG.
In this latest episode, Joey and the team were on the road, but this time it was local, at the HQ's in Manchester! Tom, welcomed us to the very impressive warehouse centre and THG studios, which is where production took place. Why would we not take advantage of one of the many luxury media rooms they have? Tom kindly showed us around, then took a seat with Joey to tell us about his thrilling journey, and where that spark for operations and sales truly came from!
Tom talks about his experience as a leader in operations, and how THG grew internally from the group up, having full control of their WMS. No investors, no external noise, just full concentration on THG becoming the Commerce powerhouse through their own automation and technology design.
Accelerating brand growth through cutting-edge commerce solutions.
THG Commerce
Complete Commerce with the highest-performing technology platform in-market.
THG Fulfil
World-class fulfilment engineered to drive customer retention.
THG Studios
A creative powerhouse like no other, designed to supercharge brand growth.
These are some boots to fill, and we'd argue that none had done it like Tom has!
Joey & Tom cover:
• The challenges faced building THG and what continues to test their operations
• What his thoughts are on the Luxury vs Commodity Commerce marketplace
• How their own growth has led to success, could it have been different?
• Where THG will be in the next few years to come
Listeners will get insights into real-world examples of market leading delivery solutions to facilitate and support retail innovation and eCommerce.
Listen & Enjoy.
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel where you can catch the live episode – www.youtube.com/@BehindTheChain-Podcast
Sponsors:
If you are a Logistics Technology Company or Major eCommerce Fashion Brand. Let's talk – [email protected]

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